CHAMPCAR/CART: Drivers promote Hands on the Wheel program

Champ Car Implores All Drivers to Keep Your "Hands on the Wheel" this
Holiday Season
Racers Power, Pagenaud, Clarke and Legge among the Champ Car community
encouraging fans to drive safely and stop texting while driving
INDIANAPOLIS,...

Champ Car Implores All Drivers to Keep Your "Hands on the Wheel" this
Holiday Season

Racers Power, Pagenaud, Clarke and Legge among the Champ Car community
encouraging fans to drive safely and stop texting while driving

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana (Nov. 19, 2007)-- With Thanksgiving on tap
this week, Champ Car is kicking its 'Hands on the Wheel'
safe-driving campaign into high gear this month, hoping to keep the roads
safe during the busy Holiday season.

With many people set to get behind the wheel of their vehicles to visit
friends and family, Champ Car's drivers, partners and other
stakeholders are encouraging everyone to go to www.handsonthewheel.org
and take the pledge to not be a distracted driver.

"Champ Car gets involved in lots of good causes, but this is one
we're really passionate about," Champ Car driver Katherine
Legge explained during a Indianapolis high school appearance.
"It's one that does really predominate in a lot of young
people's minds."

Four Champ Car World Series drivers based in Indianapolis--Legge,
Will Power, Simon Pagenaud and Dan Clarke-- visited Hamilton
Southeastern High School in Fishers, Indiana last Friday to encourage
students to keep their "Hands on the Wheel" while driving. At
a special convocation at the school, the quick quartet talked to a select
group of student leaders about "Hands on the Wheel," the
Champ Car cause campaign designed to encourage safe driving habits. The
drivers encouraged the student leaders to spread the word among their
fellow students and family members, especially ahead of the holiday
driving season.

The program wants people to stay 100 percent focused on driving when
behind the wheel of a car. Recent statistics show that 80 percent of all
crashes and 65 percent of near-crashes are caused by distracted drivers.

"When you're driving a 200-miles-per-hour Champ Car, you
absolutely have to concentrate on what you're doing," says
Power, who won two Champ Car races in 2007. "But just because
you're going slower while driving your regular car on public roads
doesn't mean you don't have to concentrate. You need to be
focused any time you get behind the wheel of any car."

Added Pagenaud, a Champ Car rookie this season: "This is a very
good program because it makes you think about what you are doing. By
keeping your hands on the wheel, you are avoiding dangerous activities
and driving the way you are supposed to drive. We ask everybody to go
online and take the pledge before they take to the road."

Launched in August, the program encourages drivers to taking simple steps
to avoid distraction, and sign an online pledge at
www.handsonthewheel.org to follow guidelines set forth in the
"Hands on the Wheel" campaign. Drivers pledge to refrain from
many unsafe driving habits, such as text messaging, street racing or not
using a safety belt while operating a vehicle. Two recent studies
estimated that one-third of all young drivers text message while driving,
so the campaign is aimed particularly at young drivers.

Champ Car is building an educational platform to deliver the message
about the dangers that exist when text messaging--along with other
unsafe driving practices--by utilizing the best messengers
available: Champ Car drivers. Champ Car will be utilizing the off-season
to conduct special driver appearances designed to raise awareness about
"Hands on the Wheel."